Directed by prior stuntman David Leitch delivers another high-octane action film in The Fall Guy, a film about battered stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) as he gets called back into the business to be on the set of his ex-girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) directorial debut. When the actor, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), he is the stunt double for goes missing, he finds himself on a deadly chase to the truth. The film also manages to have quite the ensemble of supporting cast between Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.

Going in, I was looking forwarding to the film; however, I could see where others may not totally agree. David Leitch has been a director that has really impressed me as he transitions from stuntman into director. His movies don’t always seem to get the same love that I have. Plus, the marketing for this is quite strange. I’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding trailers, but the impression that I got from this was that it was meant to be more of a rom-com movie. I had no idea that a good portion of the movie was going to be involved in Ryan Gosling traveling Australia for a mystery on top of filming a movie.

I have seen where many people claim that summer blockbusters aren’t made like they used to, which is a valid complaint. Looking back at what the 2000’s during my childhood certainly proves that there is something different nowadays about a blockbuster that isn’t attached to an IP. While the film is based on a 1980’s TV series, the film manages to haven an identity of its own through the cast and stunt work thanks to David Leitch’s work, even if I found segments of the film weaker than what I have seen from Leitch. Maybe it’s coming from how much I loved Bullet Train.

Getting right into it with the positives, I have to say that the cast really sells the movie. I admire how Ryan Gosling has evolved in his career as of late. His films don’t seem as indie heavy as they used to. Even though those films will forever remain my favorites of his, Gosling is steering his career into these fun roles that celebrate integral themes. Thanks to his star power, he is able to drive the movie from start to finish. As for Emily Blunt, I also admire how she can turn a switch for any kind of movie, which makes her one of the best actresses working today. With both actors in the lead roles, they give you exactly what you look for.

With what the talent is able to bring comes the sense of direction. While the film markets itself as a rom-com, the film also manages to be a buddy-travel and a high-octane action movie. Releasing this film at the beginning of summer is the right move as it brings viewers in from the heat to feel the heat from this movie. The chemistry between the leads, the action that Leitch is known for, and comedy that naturally works, I have to say that I am impressed that Leitch is continuing to branch out just a bit between each of his movies.

My issues with the film ultimately don’t matter as the film achieves on what it sets itself out to do. More importantly, I think there are things that could have made it better that would have made me enjoy the film, and I am sure for others. For one, there isn’t much characterization with most of these characters. If it wasn’t for the talent, I’d have a hard time caring what these people are doing, but hey, when you have aspects of the filmmaking process going on throughout, that works too.

I also found myself stuck on certain plot holes that don’t make much sense. For example, there’s a segment that leads Gosling’s character down this rabbit hole where he’s going from location to location. Suddenly, he runs into Blunt’s character, and shortly afterwards, night becomes day. It’s as these people don’t seem real, because they don’t even sleep. While the ending is fun, it does go on a bit longer than what was needed.

Then, there’s Teresa Palmer’s character. Good for her for getting this role. When things are revealed later on in the movie, it’s hard to not see how she didn’t know anything of what was going on. Unfortunately, her character has wasted potential. That transitions into how I feel about majority of the side characters, who felt flat and suddenly became bad guys with no real rhyme or reason. They’re just bad! But then, you also have Winston Duke. That guy is super underrated and he is added here perfectly. More attention needs to be given to him.

To wrap up the review, I want to really tackle the positives one more time, because I don’t want my negatives to cloud over how great this film actually is. Gosling’s comedic timing is impeccable, which works brilliantly here. The film is also a wonderful love letter to the stuntmen, and proves why we need an Oscars category for stunt work. The stunts seen here wouldn’t have been possible without Leitch’s commitment to the action. Lastly, the beginning’s montage against the backdrop of one of my favorite songs was like Leitch knew that was exactly what I needed from this movie. Adding that song throughout the movie was just amazing, too.

Overall, The Fall Guy falls into those movies that they don’t make them like they used to. It’s action-packed, hilarious, and the cast give it their all. It’s another solid entry from director David Leitch, even if the movie has its shortcomings. If you can, I highly recommend seeing this delightful, energy-infused movie that is appropriately coming out as summer’s first blockbuster.

VERDICT: Great